The President of the Initiative for the Survival of Farmers of Serbia, Goran Filipović, said today that agricultural producers will block roads if they are required to use the direct payments of 18,000 dinars per hectare for investments in the purchase of machinery and the construction of facilities. He told Beta that the farmers are outraged and that this is the conclusion of last night’s meeting of seven associations, and that it should be confirmed by the assemblies of those associations.
In addition to the Initiative, the decision was made by representatives of the Alliance of Banat Associations, the “Srbobran” Association, Dolovo Farmers, Banatska Crnica, the “Opovo” Association, and Novoseoce Farmers. The farmers made the decision because of the statement by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Dragan Glamočić, to the media a few days ago, that “incentive measures for farmers will remain the same next year, but there will be changes in direct payments, which will have to be justified with invoices for funds spent on the construction of new facilities and the purchase of machinery.”
Filipović said that, if Glamočić was referring to the only direct payments of 18,000 dinars, all countries have them and Serbian farmers believe that their purpose should not be changed.
“We agree that the subsidy of 17,000 dinars, intended for the purchase of seeds, should be justified with an invoice for the purchase of that raw material or fertilizer, but it is unacceptable that the direct payment of 18,000 dinars must be directed towards the construction of facilities and the purchase of machinery at this moment,” Filipović said.
He pointed out that, after several dry years and production losses, indebted farmers now need money, primarily to pay loan installments they took out in previous years to buy machinery and facilities, and they do not need new machinery and facilities. Filipović said that four Ministers of Agriculture have been changed in the last three years and that each one has changed the measures, so a new turn and experiment in agricultural policy is unnecessary. He urged Glamočić to publish the subsidy payment schedule as soon as possible because farmers, due to over-indebtedness, are counting on that money as a lifeline.
He added that changing the purpose of the direct subsidy per hectare would have another consequence: machinery will become more expensive, as happened with seeds and mineral fertilizers when the payment of subsidies for those raw materials began, so traders raised prices.
He stated that the government’s intention is actually to change the purpose of the direct subsidy, probably also to reduce payments to agriculture, because no one will take money for new investments when they are barely surviving.
“Glamočić would be better off regulating and securing a new market so that we can sell apples that were harvested in orchards raised with loans, not with profits made in agriculture,” Filipović said.
Farmers, he said, asked for 300 euros per hectare to mitigate the consequences of the drought, but what is being announced is the abolition of 18,000 dinars per hectare.
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Source: N1, Foto: N1